Donald Woodman was the headmaster in those days of the Qualifying Exam (nowadays the 11-plus) which has since disappeared from these parts and we do not mourn its passing, while the rest of Northern Ireland argues over its demise.
Of course, the bright sparks of 1A sailed through the dreaded exam with flying colours, although it warranted not a mention as they looked back on the good old days - with rose-tinted glasses firmly in place, of course - before computers ruled the classroom, when university places were as rare as hen's teeth and when misdemeanours were punished by three or six strokes of the cane across the backside, or a few whacks of the slipper.

They met - all 23 of them, with a number of apologies from others who couldn't make it - at the Knocknamuckley home of Alix Jardine (nee North) and a good time was had by all.

And as well as the pupils, teachers of the era, like Mrs Florence Gracey (nee Cassells whose subject was geography), Mr Arthur Chapman (French and German), Mr Ivan Gracey (maths) and Mr Sammy Jones (science) were there to see how life had treated their former young charges.

Mr Jones, by the way, had his own dance band at P.C. (pre-rock and roll) which used to charm the pupils at the school dances. Happy days.

There were apologies from Miss Eleanor Knox (music and history) and from Mr Garfield England (English and former vice-princial and form master), both of whom are unwell.

And over half-a-century later there was also talk of several children and countless grandchildren, and happily some of the parents of the former Form 1A scholars are still living.

Said Alix, "It was a super night, and it began with a few French songs that we were taught by the legendary Eric Anderson. It's amazing how everyone remembered the words - young brains then, I suppose.

"The school song Fortiter et Humaniter (with Courage and Courtesy) was sung lustily - it was penned by headmaster Donald Woodman - and it was in four-part harmony as pupils like Jack Woolsey and Arnold Hatch have sung in various choirs for many years.

"Jack lived a long time in Dunblane in Scotland - he was a professor at Stirling University - and Arnold is an ex-Mayor who sings in two or three choirs."

James Uprichard (ex-Air Commodore, no less) was a wow on a borrowed guitar while there were two chief executives of various boroughs among the gathering - Jim Whitten formerly of Croydon and Drew Boyd, formerly of Ballymena. Jim, incidently, has retired to the Ballymena area.

There was, of course, a plethora of teachers like June Crozier (nee Crozier as she married a man with the same surname!) Yvonne Waters (nee Sherman), Robert Abraham, Alastair Uprichard, Ivy Whysall (nee Freeburn) who travelled from London to be there, and many more.

Dessie Troughton couldn't make it, as he happened to be on a world tour at the time, so they dressed up a tailor's dummy, stuck a 'DT' label on him and so had him present in spirit!

Said Alix, "It went on until 2.45am, and many were back home or to their hotel very late, but it was a wonderful occasion.

The full line-up - as per picture - was (with married names in brackets where applicable) - front row, left to right - Muriel Woolsey (Darling), Yvonne Sherman (Waters), Doris Dickson (Walker), Alix North (Jardine), Ivy Freeburn (Whysall), June Crozier (Crozier).

Middle row - Jack Woolsey, James Uprichard, Sam Forbes, Arthur Chapman, Isobel Johnston (Henry), Ruby McClelland (Hamilton), Norma Graham, Sammy Jones.

Back row - Drew Boyd, Sam Caul, Alastair Uprichard, Florence Cassells (Gracey), Robert Abraham, Ivan Gracey, Jim Whitten, Arnold Hatch.